Tire-chain guard



C. A.=BULL.

TIRE CHAIN GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.23, 1920.

1,393,745. Patented M. 18, 192- 1.

UNLTED smi es PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. BULL, F ALBION, NEBRASKA, ASSIG'NOR TO THE B-"DI- PRODUCTSCOM- i I PANY, INC, OF ALBION, NEBRASKA.

TIRE-CHAIN GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 19.21.

Application filed August 23, 1920. Serial No. 405,428.

T 0 all to 700m it may concern Be it known that I, Crrenrns A. BULL, acitizen of the United States, residin at Albion, in the county of Booneand btate of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Tire-Chain Guards; and I do declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of theinvention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same. v

This invention relates to ti.re-chainguards, and more specifically to animproved fender construction including an improved attachment forpreventing the tire-chain from engaging with the clamping device whichholds the fender on the bracket that supports it.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved, yet v ry simpleand cheap, de vice that can be quickly and easily attached in itseffective position and will not rattle, come loose or slip from itseffective position.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out or implied in thefollowing details of description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a fender, over a portion ofa tire, my improved guard being applied thereto, and being shown invertical section.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the improved guard and adjacent portionsof the fender.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line ss of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4i is a perspective view illustrating the sheet metal portion of myimproved guard.

Referring to these drawings in detail, in which similar referencecharacters correspond with similar parts throughout the several views,and in which the wheel 7 is indicated merely to show the relation of myimproved guard thereto, the invention consists in the construction andarrangement of parts which will now be described as follows:

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that thefender 1, its strut or stqpporting bracket 2, the supporting arm 3 andthe eye-bolt at (which clamps the members 2 and 3 together) are ofordinary or previously known construction.

One of the essential features of this construction, in connection withthe present invention, is the fact that the fender l is arched at itsmiddle portion, while the strut or bracket 2 extends substantiallyhorizontally from one side to the other of the fender, thereby providinga space between the arched under-surface of the fender and thehorizontal upper surface of the bracket 2. The ends of the bracket 2 arerigidly secured to the edges of the fender 1, but the middle portionthereof is somewhat yieldable or springy, being formed of sheet metal.The serious difficulty encountered with a structure of this kind, isthat the cross chains of the wheel chains are thrown by centrifugalforce against the fender-suptmrting structure2-23-4, and by continualhammering of this structure tends to and often succeeds in loosening thenut on the end of the bolt 4, so that the fender not only rattles, butis weakened because of insufficient supporting means. Moreover, thecross chains will sometimes catch and become broken or result inbreaking the fender-supporting mechanism.

In order to obviate the above recited difficulties, I provide a guardsuch as illustrated at 5 and separately shown in Fig. 4:. This guardincludes the lower horizontal plate 6, an uprightfront plate 7 and anupright rear plate 8. These plates are apertured at 9 and 10, theaperture 10 being square or non-cylindrical so as to fit a noncylindrical portion of the bolt 11 which extends through the apertures 9and 10 and is provided with a nut 12 which has its upper edge or sideapproximately flush with the upper edge of the rear plate 7. This upperedge and that of the plate 8 are curved so as to conform to the underside of the arched tender; and when the bolt 11 is in place, it restsupon the upper side of the bracket 2 and presses the upper or free edgesof the plates 7 and 8 firmly against this lower arched surface, thespring action of the bracket 2 assisting or co-acting with the bolt 11for thus pressing the guard or shield 5 against the fender 1. The member5 is trough-like, that is, has open ends which receive thesupporting-structure 234: and these open ends are provided with upwardlyand inwardly turned flanges or bracing ribs 13.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with Fig. 1 it willbe seen that the bolt 11 is prevented from turning in consequence of itsnon-cylindrical portion fitting in the non-cylindrical portion of theplate 8, and that the nut 12 is prevented from accidentally turning inconsequence of its engagement or close proximity with the.

. ance by the tender, and wien the member 2 is released from the wedgeor lever, its spring action will press the member 12 into the lockedposition shown in Fig. 1.

In efi'ect, the plates (3, 7 and 8 merge with one another, being formedintegrally of a single piece of sheet metaland the rear portion of thismember 5 is gradually curved or convened so as to eliminate anypossibility of the tire-chain catching thereon, and at the same time,this curved or concaved portion l laitords very great resistance againstthe hammering of the chains.

lVhile thisdevice is shown applied or at-' tached to a previously knownform of fender-supporting device, it is capable of be-;

ing, attached to any form of supporting device in which a space isprovided under the arched fender for the bolt ,11 to pass over thesupporting device. f

It is not intended to limit this invention to the exact details ofconstruction and arrangement as described and'illustrated, but

changes may be made within the scope of walls engaging the underface ofthe wheel fender in front of and to the rear of the supporting device,and a securing bolt extending through the end walls of the guard andextending above and ,supported upon the supporting device and heldagainst rotation, the bolt being provided with a nut at one end engagingthe underface of the wheel tender. and held against rotation there-by.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES A. BULL.

